Alpha's One Night Bride
Alpha’s One Night Bride – Chapter 78

Jonathan and Erick successfully eliminated the war, just as I knew they would. They came back to us with only minor scrapes and bruises, but nothing too serious. Packs agreed that they didn’t want to destroy all the other packs just because of greed and they all went back to their territories to resume their lives and rebuild their nations. Jonathan and Erick were able to return home and Ronnie and me.

I had to tell Jonathan how I felt about Greggory, once we returned home, and he agreed that it sounded suspicious. As good of friends as he was with Greggory, he wasn’t trusting him much lately. He said that Greggory has changed and has been more concerned about power than anything. Therefore, Jonathan doesn’t talk to him as much anymore.

He also told me how he saw Greggory and Rachel having s*x, through the Overseer link, and it didn’t look as though their marriage was ending any time soon. He found it weird that they were suddenly separated, and he was marrying Jessica.

“Do you think they’re threats of warnings?” I asked Jonathan as I help Emee close to my chest.

Since talking to Greggory and hearing either his warning or threat, I’ve been afraid to put her down.

“It’s hard to tell,” Jonathan admitted. “But I don’t think Greggory would do anything to hurt Emee…” he paused as he thought more about it.

Something about his face was uncertain and it worried me.

“At least I don’t think so,” he added.

I frowned; I didn’t like the sound of that. It didn’t make me feel good about putting Emee down, but Ronnie and I had to go to Ironclaw soon. Now that Rock was no longer in power, Ronnie and I were the last of the Alpha bloodline and it was our job to appoint a new leader. Neither of us has been in Ironclaw since before Rock and Melissa were taken into custody.

I could almost imagine how frantic the pack was without a leader.

With that being said, we already had somebody in mind for being a leader. He doesn’t even know it yet and we were excited to announce it to him and the rest of the pack. We also invited all of Sabrebite to join the announcement in Ironclaw.

Once again, Jess agreed to stay behind and care for Emee. But I was apprehensive about leaving Emee alone again since speaking with Greggory. I had an unsettling feeling in the bit of my stomach.

Jonathan could read my face and kissed my forehead.

“I’m sure she will be fine,” Jonathan assured me. “My mom won’t let anything happen to her. Plus, I’m the Overseer now. Nothing can get by me anymore.”

I had almost forgotten Jonathan was technically the Overseer now and had the sight. It’s been a few days since Jessica’s wedding and since Jonathan and Erick returned from the war; he has hardly mentioned his new position as Overseer.

I made a mental note to ask him more about it later.

“If anything happens, I’ll let you both know,” Jess said as she entered the room.

I smiled my thanks to her as I handed her Emee.

It was time to go.

…

In Ironclaw, the center of the town was already filled with the pack swarming around without any direction. It was almost like as soon as it was known that there was no leader, everybody forgot who they were and what they were doing. They were aimlessly walking around, trying to figure out their next move.

As I made myself known, with Jonathan, Ronnie, and Erick by my side, a round of applause erupted through the busy streets. They all seemed genuinely happy to see us; I blushed as I waved sheepishly at everyone and walked towards the oak tree in the center of the town. The pack gathered around the tree, talking amongst themselves.

Their voices boomed and echoed off the cobblestone buildings. We waited until the Sabrebite pack was able to join us. While we waited, I said hello to some familiar faces and old friends.

Once everyone arrived, Jonathan used his Alpha voice to quiet everyone down.

“So, as you all know Rock is no longer in command,” I started; I tried to keep my voice steady and loud. I didn’t want them to know how weak I truly felt on the inside. “Which is why we are here now; we are going to appoint a new leader.”

A low rumble of voices went through the crowd; I could see the worried looks on their faces.

“I want you to not worry because the leader we have chosen is very experienced, very kind, and will do right by you. That’s a promise,” I assured them. Now, there were less worried faces. “This particular person had gone through a lot, including losing his own territory. Thankfully, a majority of his pack survived though and have been residing in Sabrebite temporarily.”

Ronnie smiled up at Erick who was staring at me with a stunned expression. This was the first time he was hearing of this, and I was so excited to present to him with the honor of becoming the next Alpha of Ironclaw.

I turned to him, peering up at him with a smile; he was frozen.

“Erick…” I said to him. He opened his mouth to say something but was too stunned to actually speak so he closed his mouth. Ronnie chuckled and stepped closer to him, draping her arms around his arm. “I would like to formally ask you if you would please be the next Alpha of Ironclaw.”

The silence around the streets had grown quiet as we waited for Erick’s answer. I could see the surprised, and yet pleased, faces of those around us. Jonathan was smiling at his friend who was staring at me with wide eyes. His mouth nearly dropped to the ground; his shocked face made me laugh.

I had to be honest, this was exactly how I was hoping he’d react.

After what felt like a lifetime of silence, he finally got himself together enough to spit out a few words.

“Yes…” he said, it was hardly audible, so he tried again but this time he cleared his throat. “Yes; I would be honored.”

Both packs erupted with cheers, echoing through the streets of Ironclaw. The three of us stood clapping as tears filled Erick’s eyes. I had never seen him cry before and I was so happy that he was pleased. Ronnie wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug; he was still shocked but at least now he could move and function.

He was laughing as he turned to the packs. He rose his hands in the air and cheered with them.

“As your new Alpha, I promise no harm will ever come to this pack. We are a family now. I will do my best to earn my place and do right by you all,” he announced to them, using his Alpha voice.

This only made them cheer louder.

…

It was weird being back in my childhood home. I hadn’t been here in months, but now that Rock and Melissa were no longer here, I felt safer being here. Erick and Ronnie were moving into the home now that Erick was going to be the Alpha. It was only right for him to take the Alpha home too. It’s what my grandfather and my mother would have wanted.

I helped Ronnie and Erick pack up all of Rock and Melissa’s belongings into boxes, in their bedroom. There were a couple of broken items lying around the room. Such as a lamp, a mirror with glass shattered around it, and a couple of cups that were thrown across the room and dented the wall.

If I were to take a guess, I’d say it was from one of their many nights of fighting.

I reached under the bed and began clearing out some of their hidden belongings. Mostly Rock’s plans for the newborns he steals. Speaking of newborns, Jonathan was currently releasing the women that Rock has kept in his underground bunker; I could only imagine how life was like for them these last few months.

Dr. Emily was their caregiver and kept them alive; I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to her now, but I was glad that these women were going to be able to live freely with their children without much worry.

Probably PTSD though.

As I continued clearing out under Rock’s bed, my fingers hit something hard. Feeling around, it felt like a giant box. I grabbed onto the handles and pulled it out from under the bed. It reminded me of a big maroon treasure chest.

I could feel my heart pounding heavily against my chest as I fumbled with the latch.

It was locked.

Ronnie looked over at my face and frowned.

“What’s that?” She asked from across the room.

I shrugged.

“I’m not sure,” I told her. “I pulled it out from under his bed. But it’s locked.”

Fumbling through her pocket, she pulled it a large golden key; my eyes widened.

“I wonder if this is the key,” she said, handing it over to me. “I found it taped inside the top of a drawer a little while ago.”

I unlocked the box and opened it; as I got it open and peered inside, my insides nearly melted, and I almost fell backward.

It was everything my mother once had.

This must have been the box that Rock spoke of.

It was real.

There were photos, journals, books, letters, jewelry, and perfume. Then I saw it; a silver urn with my mother’s name engraved on the front of it.

Rock was telling the truth. I felt nauseous knowing that he kept his from me for all these years.

“Oh my goddess,” Ronnie breathed, peering over my shoulder at the clutter in the box.

I didn’t even know where to begin with all this.

“There’s a letter with your name on it,” Ronnie mentioned, pointing to the box.

It was a pink envelope with my name written on it in my mother’s handwriting. I had to bite my bottom l*p hard to keep from sobbing. I needed to stay strong for my mother because I knew she was watching me. The rays from the moon shining through the window proved that she was there.

My dearest Arina,

If you are reading this, it means I’m no longer on this earth. But that doesn’t mean I’m not with you always. Regardless of where I end up next, I will always be watching over you and cheering for you every step of the way. I just hope you find a way out of these horrid conditions. There’s no doubt in my mind that Jonathan will come to you when you’re ready and release you from the grip of your father.

My biggest regret is not being able to protect you more. But all I ask for is a little patience and a little hope that things will end up okay again.

I want you to have everything that this box holds; inside you will find things that no one has known about. Secrets I haven’t spoken about that will shed some light on a lot of your questions. Things not even Rock knows. I’m keeping this in a spot that only you can find, so when the time is right and you find this box, you’ll know everything.

No matter where I am, I will always love you and I will always be with you.

Love always, your mother, Emlin.

I nearly dropped the letter; it was supposed to be hidden from Rock and yet somehow, he uncovered it and hid it from me all these years. This wasn’t what my mother wanted. I was supposed to have this box much earlier in life and her ashes were not supposed to be hidden inside of it.

I hated Rock more now than anything and I really hated him before.

“Arina?” Ronnie said, staring around my face with a worried expression. Tears began filling my eyes as I continued to bite my bottom l*p, I was trying so hard not to burst into tears. I could taste the b***d from my l*p oozing onto my tongue as my fingers trembled. Ronnie looked over at Erick, who was watching us carefully. “Maybe you should go find Jonathan,” she suggested. He nodded and left the room.

I felt her hand on my shoulder, trying to bring me back to the present moment.

“Arina?” She said again, this time a little louder with a little bit more worry lingering in her voice.

I had what my mother wanted me to have after all these years, but at what cost? Was it too late to put good use to the information hidden inside? Did I even want to know the information hidden inside?